Monthly Archives: February 2025
Flash Movie Review: Nightbitch
THE WOMEN I KNEW IN THE generation before me did not have jobs outside of the home. Most of my friends’ mothers stayed at home taking care of the house and raising the children. It was not until we were in seventh and eighth grade where some mothers went back to the work force. When I was little, I did not comprehend how much work these mothers did, even more with an increase in children in the family. It was not until we were older and would find ourselves, from time to time, sitting with a friend’s mother for a soft drink or dessert that I would comprehend how much these mothers did for their family. Now the interesting thing I noticed about this generation was most of the women gave little thought about having a career. By career, I mean like a lawyer, event planner or sales. Granted it was a different time and that was the norm back then. Adding to it, I honestly do not remember hearing anything about daycare centers where children could be dropped off while the parents were both working. The usual method was to find a neighbor or relative to babysit while the parent ran out to work or do errands. WITH ONE NEW GENERATION, IT BECAME a whole different story regarding having and raising children. The things I have seen and heard from my peers in my generation, many of the households have both parents working. Those who can afford it, send their child to daycare; others create a unique schedule where they can bypass daycare by parents working different shifts. I know one family who did this and when their schedules conflicted, they had one of their parents watch the children. A few of my friends were lucky that their company gave them twelve weeks of maternity leave; other friends chose to quit work by the time of delivery and stay home with their baby. No matter what the option, from what I have seen it is not an easy thing to do. I admire each and everyone of them because to me it is a big undertaking to choose to have a child. And I know for some, it is a struggle just based on being a witness to the people in my circles. One friend, who was an avid reader, had to spend several years only reading children’s books. By the time she had some free time, she was too tired to read any of her books. Being a parent is certainly not an easy job and if you do not believe me, see what happens in this dark comedy horror film. FROM A THRIVING CAREER IN THE art world to becoming a stay-at-home mom, a woman begins to feel primal urges she has never felt before. With Any Adams (The Fighter, The Woman in the Window) as Mother, Scoot McNairy (Speak No Evil, Luckiest Girl Alive) as Husband, Jessica Harper (Phantom of the Paradise, Shock Treatment) as Norma, Zoe Chao (Downhill, The Afterparty-TV) as Jen, and Mary Holland (Senior Year, Happiest Season) as Miriam; this movie’s lifesaver was Amy Adams. For me, it was pretty much the only thing. I found the script weird, not knowing if it wanted to be a satire, dark comedy, or horror film; it just never committed fully to a genre. I could have gotten into the satire and dark comedy, but the whole feral thing was a dud for me. I did think the directing and pacing were good; however, when one is sitting and wondering if this is going to be a take on a Franz Kafka story or a Saturday Night Live skit, it caused me not to be 100% into the story. If this had been a babysitting job, I would have passed it up.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: September 5
I HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT attracted me to the television show. It may be partially the opening music, or the host, or the ability to see different states and countries. All I know is every Saturday afternoon, I would never leave the house because it was vital I sat down and watched The Wide World of Sports on ABC-TV. There was something about individuals competing against each other that first attracted me. Next, it was seeing sporting events that were never part of my elementary school’s curriculum, things like fencing and bobsledding. Everything taught in my physical education class was based on a team mentality. There was football, basketball, and baseball; the three prominent sports that overshadowed anything else being offered. I have often wondered why I am attracted more to individual sports instead of team/group sports. During my PE classes, I always hated the team activities, whether it was a baseball team or four-man relay running race. If I were to analyze myself, I would say part of the reason had to do with my self-image. Being heavier than most of the other students, I was usually picked last or close to last. Seeing how teammates would react not only to me or to anyone who did not catch, hit, or throw the ball to help in scoring was made to feel like a loser. Plus, the worst thing of all was having done something that caused your team to lose the competition in the final minutes of the game; I always tried to avoid being involved during that time. When you hear the comments over and over, you start to believe them. FOR ALL MY YEARS OF WATCHING Wide World of Sports, I have seen every Olympics game they televised. Host Jim McKay was the face of the television show; he felt like one of my parents’ friends, there was comfort in seeing him each week. His excitement and joy in reporting such a variety of different sports made me feel just as excited, even if I did not understand the rules of a game. It was okay if I did not understand because Jim and the other commentators always made sure their viewers understood what they were watching. For the 1972 Olympics, though my memory may not be rock solid, I certainly recall the monumental events that Jim and his team were televising around the world. A sporting event that had the pristine honor of bringing athletes from all over the world to one place for a common purpose was hopeful and inspiring. Suddenly, that all changed with the actions that took place at this Olympics. Whether your memory is crystal clear or vague about these games, it is an achievement to see how the director and writers show a different side to the events that are etched in so many people’s minds in this dramatic history thriller. AS THE ONLY TELEVISION CREW BROADCASTING live at the 1972 summer Olympics, the crew found themselves in the middle of a news shattering event that would take all the newspeople’s skills to manage the situation while live on television. With Peter Sarsgaard (The Survivor, The Lost Daughter) as Roone Arledge, John Magaro (Past Lives, Day of the Fight) as Geoffrey Mason, Ben Chaplin (Birthday Girl, Roads) as Marvin Bader, Leonie Benesch (The White Ribbon, The Teachers’ Lounge) as Marianne Gebhardt, and Zinedine Soualem (You Promised Me the Sea, Jasper) as Jacques Lesgards; this docudrama was a tight production that gave the viewer a new point of view from what they would have seen for themselves. I thought the acting was perfect as well as the sets. And I must commend the editing department because the switches between the current and archival footage were seamless. Though I could recall some of the activities that were taking place back then, the writers were smart to show them to us through the eyes of the television crew because it added to the suspense and tension. If awards were to be given out, I would give this movie a gold medal.
3 ½ stars
moviejoltz 